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RuffAlternate name(s): "Reeve" (female) ![]() Size: 29-32 cm (male), 22-26 cm (female); wing span 54-60 cm (male), 46-49 cm (female) Weight: 180 g (average; male), 110 g (average; female) |
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See Ruff
at Wikipedia |
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Photos |
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ADULT |
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BREEDING |
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MALE |
Breeding male Ruffs display an enormous variety of plumages. We have created a small GALLERY OF EXAMPLES.
Near-frontal view of a senior male Ruff in full breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Biebrza NP, Poland, May 2017]
Lateral view of a senior male Ruff in near-complete breeding
plumage;
except for the still missing ear tufts, this bird has the
"classical" appearance of a senior male, with a black
head and front, white belly, vent and undertail coverts,
scalloped/barred brown to dark-brown back, orange-brown
bill and warty skin around the eyes
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Biebrza NP, Poland, May 2017]
Lateral view of a senior male Ruff in near-complete breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Biebrza NP, Poland, May 2017]
Lateral view of two male Ruffs in very different breeding
plumages -
senior rank on the left, junior on the right
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Tromso airport, Tromso, Norway, June 2018]
Lateral view of a snoozing male Ruff in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Tromso airport, Tromso, Norway, June 2018]
Near-dorsal view of a male Ruff in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Tromso airport, Tromso, Norway, June 2018]
Near-dorsal view of two senior male Ruffs in near-complete breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Biebrza NP, Poland, May 2017]
This lateral view of a male Ruff has captured the moment
when the bird had gone through the general moult into breeding
plumage (back,
belly), but has not started the additional moult for the ear
tufts and ruff yet (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Biebrza NP, Poland, May 2017]
Lateral view of a male Ruff in partial breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, July 2019]
Two senior male Ruffs, centre and right, that have finished
their general moult, but do not have ruff or ear tufts yet,
and a more junior male left, with a partial ruff, indicating
near-complete
breeding plumage
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, May 2017]
Female Ruff, left, junior male Ruff, 2nd from left, a more
senior male, 2nd from right and a senior male on the right
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, May 2017]
Ruffs in partial breeding
plumage;
note the characteristic white sides of the tails
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, July 2019]
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FEMALE |
Near-frontal view of a female Ruff in breeding
plumage
foraging in shallow water (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, March 2017]
Near-dorsal view of a female Ruff in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Biebrza NP, Poland, May 2017]
Near-dorsal view of a female Ruff in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Biebrza NP, Poland, May 2017]
Near-dorsal view of a female Ruff, possibly still in breeding
plumage(?)
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, October 2019]
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PAIR |
Frontal view of a senior male Ruff in full breeding
plumage
courting a female
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Biebrza NP, Poland, May 2017]
Lateral view of a male, left, and a female Ruff in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Tromso airport, Tromso, Norway, June 2018]
Mix of male and female Ruffs that are moulting into breeding
plumage;
senior male, left, junior male, 2nd from left, and two females
- note the size difference: the females are smaller than the males
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, May 2017]
Junior male Ruff, left, with a partial ruff, indicating near-complete
breeding plumage, and
a female on the right
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, May 2017]
Female Ruff, left, junior male Ruff, 2nd from left, a more
senior male, 2nd from right and a senior male on the right
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, May 2017]
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NON-BREEDING |
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MALE |
Near-lateral view of a male Ruff in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, November 2021]
Lateral view of a male Ruff in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, November 2021]
Lateral view of a male Ruff in non-breeding
plumage;
note the pale orange base of the bill
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, November 2021]
Near-dorsal view of a male Ruff in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, November 2021]
Near-dorsal view of two male Ruffs in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Moita do Ribatejo, Tejo estuary, Portugal, December 2019]
Mix of male and female Ruffs that are moulting into non-breeding
plumage; the males
have an orange base to the bill and are taller than females
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montargil, Alentejo, Portugal, August 2018]
Mix of male and female Ruffs that are moulting into non-breeding
plumage, together
with other waders
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montargil, Alentejo, Portugal, August 2018]
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FEMALE |
Lateral view of a female Ruff in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, August 2019]
Lateral view of two female Ruffs in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, August 2019]
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PAIR |
Female Ruff, left, and male, right, that are moulting into non-breeding
plumage, together
with a Black-winged Stilt
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montargil, Alentejo, Portugal, August 2018]
Mix of male and female Ruffs that are moulting into non-breeding
plumage, together
with other waders
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montargil, Alentejo, Portugal, August 2018]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Lateral view of a juvenile Ruff foraging in shallow water
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Malkinia, Masovia, Poland, August 2019]
Lateral view of a juvenile Ruff
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Malkinia, Masovia, Poland, August 2019]
Juvenile Ruffs standing in shallow water
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Malkinia, Masovia, Poland, August 2019]
Juvenile Ruff, left, in comparison with a
Common Greenshank
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Malkinia, Masovia, Poland, August 2019]
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Behaviour |
Male Ruffs have elaborate courtship displays and they also fight over the right to mate with females. They grow their elaborate ear tufts and ruffs not only to impress females, but also the male competition. The way they go about this has earned them their name "pugnax" (pugnacious).
Frontal view of a male Ruff in full breeding plumage courting a female
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Biebrza NP, Poland, May 2017]
Frontal view of a male Ruff in full breeding plumage courting a female,
different part of the display
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Biebrza NP, Poland, May 2017]
Lateral view of a male Ruff in full breeding plumage courting a female
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Biebrza NP, Poland, May 2017]
Male Ruff in full breeding plumage, right, trying to impress a
female, also in breeding
plumage, left
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Biebrza NP, Poland, May 2017]
Male Ruff in full breeding plumage, right, trying to impress a
female, also in breeding
plumage, left
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Biebrza NP, Poland, May 2017]
Male Ruff trying to impress a
female while pursuing her (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Biebrza NP, Poland, May 2017]
Male Ruff pursuing a female (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Biebrza NP, Poland, May 2017]
Rough Ruff cock fight... (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Biebrza NP, Poland, May 2017]
Ruffs feeding in a marsh in inland
Poland (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Biebrza NP, Poland, May 2017]
Flock of Ruffs feeding and courting in a marsh in inland
Poland (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Biebrza NP, Poland, May 2017]
Wider overview of the area in which the flock of Ruffs
was found (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Biebrza NP, Poland, May 2017]
Flock of Ruffs taking off at sunset, presumably to fly to
their roosts (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Biebrza NP, Poland, May 2017]